Did you know that Gearwrench offers a 10mm-only socket set? The way I see it, this set ensures that you always have the best style of 10mm socket to suit a given task.
Or, you can treat it as a sort of sampler set, for anyone looking to upgrade or expand their tool box. “Do I really need mid-length or universal sockets?” An assortment like this can help you make that determination.
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At the least, this also give you (10) new 10mm sockets to hopefully not lose.
The set comes with both 1/4″ and 3/8″ drive sockets in the following styles: standard, mid-length, deep, flex (universal), and magnetic impact. It also comes with a socket rail. (My set, purchased this summer, came with a blue socket rail instead of orange.)
All of the sockets have 6pt hex sockets.
This set comes with 10 sockets and is priced at just under $30. ~$3 per socket beats the best pricing I could find for Gearwrench’s individual 10mm sockets, and by a significant amount.
For example, just buying the 1/4″ and 3/8″ universal-style flex sockets individually would set you back nearly $25 on Amazon.
I’m okay buying individual sockets when I need to – and I love having the option to buy individual sizes – but open stock pricing tends to be steep for most brands. If I want to buy more than a couple of sockets of the same drive size and style, it often makes sense to buy a set.
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However, sets often offer an assortment of sizes of the same style. You can find 1/4″ and 3/8″ drive socket sets in all of the styles that are included with this set.
But with this set, you get different sizes of the same size, and one that’s near-universally popular at that.
As it turns out, this isn’t Gearwrench’s only single-size socket set, they have a couple of options:
- 1/4″ 8mm 5pc Set (80102)
- 1/4″ & 3/8″ 10mm 10pc Set (80319)
- 1/4″ & 3/8″ 12mm 10pc Set (80576)
- 3/8″ 14mm 5pc Set (80945)
- 3/8″ 15mm 5pc Set (80946)
In all seriousness, I don’t recall seeing these single-size socket sets before, and I purchased the 10mm set shortly after learning about it. It just makes sense to me. I’m a “try one or two first” kind of person before buying a set of socket styles (such as mid-length or universals), and I also like having size-specific assortments. With this set, I don’t have to assemble a custom rail of 10mm sockets, or grab more than one set or portable kit if I think I’ll need multiple styles of the same size.
I know I’m not the only one who has grabbed a socket only to have to head back to the tool box for an adapter (such as a universal or short wobble extension), or different style of socket – if I even have one available.
This set is portable, versatile, and very economically priced.
Price: $29.80 (at the time of this posting)
What are you waiting for? The sooner you buy this set of 10mm sockets, the sooner you could start misplacing ’em!
Reminder: Gearwrench is currently a ToolGuyd sponsor.
Jared
I think it’s a great idea to offer something like this. Titan does it too (sorry for the Can-con):
https://www.princessauto.com/en/10-pc-1-4-and-3-8-in-dr-10-mm-socket-set/product/PA0008985616
I like the look of the Gearwrench set better though.
Interesting to see how the universal 3/8 and 1/4 sockets are so different.
Jaycob P.
Autozone and O’Reilly also have cheaper sets. The Autozone one looks identical to the Gearwrench one for $20.
Joe
You beat me to it! AutoZone’s Duralast set is like $20 or $25. Most of Duralast’s lineup is made by Apex (GearWrench).
Ball_bearing
Love that place. I’m just one nut driver set short of completing my blue handle tool collection.
Joe
I love it! I purchased the Diamond tip screwdriver set and the matching T-10 – T-30 Torx screwdriver set.
Are the nut drivers hollow shaft?
Caleb
Dang! Bought the gear wrench set before I read this comment!
fred
Clever marketing concept that might also prove useful.
With my tongue – a bit out in my cheek – I’d say that the 10mm socket set is still incomplete.
What no: Ribe socket, XZN socket, Glow Plug socket, 3 Point socket, Penta (5pt) socket, 8 point socket, 10 point socket, spline socket, universal impact, magnetic impact, deep impact, etc. ?? Then , how about a bolt removing (turbo) socket to remove the fastener after you buggered it up by trying to use the wrong socket from my list,
MT_Noob
@Fred, I think you forgot the universal “10mm gator grip” socket on your list.
: )
fred
Ha you’re right But I thought my “etc.” covered lots of missing ones like driveline sockets, internal groove locknut sockets, bronze sockets, stud setting sockets, pass through sockets, crowfeet and crowrings, crowfoot flex box, open side sockets – and in case I miss some other exotic type I’ll add “etc.”
Two links to some oddball ones:
https://www.amazon.com/Sunex-210zumdl-2-Inch-12-Point-Driveline/dp/B006L23CTC
https://www.amazon.com/7-piece-Slotted-Special-Socket-Set/dp/B004UMISU8/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=bgs+1105&qid=1633021108&sr=8-1
fred
Here’s a 10 point one:
https://www.jbtools.com/cta-tools-3751-2-piece-honda-10-point-socket-set-8mm-10mm/
And an 8 point one:
https://www.geniustoolsusa.com/genius-tools-1-4-dr-10mm-double-square-hand-socket-8-point-242510.html
Jared
Could have added a “power socket” too – oh wait, maybe that doesn’t come in 10mm….
https://www.amazon.ca/Ingersoll-Rand-S64M19L-PS1-Power-Socket/dp/B01CVAG1SG
fred
I guess IR could make one if they wanted to – but I thought that they like (CTA’s crank bolt sockets and Lisle’s harmonic balancer sockets) – added extra mass to proved added momentum in breaking free larger bolts. I’ve read the advertising about these – but never had the occasion or inclination to need or try them.
We had some big machinery in our fabrication shop that had big studs/nuts holding them to their piers. Maybe one of these sockets would have worked on them. But the mechanics just used an old-fashioned slugging wrench the one time that I remember they were moving a machine.
Chris
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVd8Bx6AAQc
Here’s an interesting video on the 20-25% gains over more traditional sockets.
MM
Jokes aside, I do think it’s very odd there is no swivel impact socket in that set. I’d consider that more important than many of the sockets in the set.
Kevin
I think they’re a great idea, and I considered buying some but I have enough sockets at this point that most of them would be duplicates.
I own a couple of Toyotas so 95% of my metric socket use is 10/12/14/17mm, so a few sets of these would be a great addition to a basic starter set, and you wouldn’t have to pay the premium of either buying individual sockets or big sets with sizes you don’t need.
Paul Edward Hacker
If you used this size a lot could see keeping it all together handy on one socket rail for use. I have run into issues where a socket is just a tad too long or too short and all the adding and subtracting of attachments still would not quite do the trick. So this would be something handy to have in your tool box for the long run.
blocky
I like gearwrench stuff, but I still appreciate the ‘toolguyd sponsor’ footnote; didn’t catch that on yesterday’s post.
fred
Gearwrench could have added this one too:
https://www.amazon.com/GearWrench-84610N-Standard-Universal-Impact/dp/B01CDJ5P4Q/
and/or this crowfoot:
https://www.zoro.com/gearwrench-38-in-drive-10-mm-metric-dr-ratcheting-crowfoot-wrench-38in-10mm-89140/i/G0431466/
Stuart
The extra-long screwdriver post has been on my queue and mostly drafted for a while, and so the disclosure didn’t seem appropriate.
I actually also changed the title from “I love my Gearwrench” to help create further separation.
Leaving out a disclosure seems easier than “this exists/was created outside of a sponsorship.” The rule/filter comes into play because I have a couple of cross-brand discussion posts coming up that will be well outside of any sponsorship contexts, and it’s easier to leave out mention than to have a string of “Brand X, Y, Z are sponsors but that’s not relevant here.”
My rule is to disclose except for content deliberately outside the scope.
I’m open to feedback, but figured that disclosures are to be added for any possible connection, but separate, largely preceding, or purposefully excluded content won’t require negative disclosures.
blocky
Thank you for sharing your protocol, and the reasoning behind it. It definitely clears things to my mind although I know it takes time to do so.
Stuart
I’m glad you asked/ brought it up! =)
MM
The value for money is certainly there, so if you need a lot of 10mm sockets then it’s a very good deal.
I look at these sets of “many types of sockets in commonly used sizes” a little differently than most people I think. I don’t see them as “problem solvers” or replacements for commonly misplaced tools, rather I think they should be extra-high-quality versions of those sockets that get worn out or broken most frequently.
I have a variety of high-end hand tools including a wide assortment of Snap-On ratchets but the vast majority of my sockets are plain ‘ol Craftsman. I find they work great for my needs. While I have worn out and busted many ratchets prior to the Snap-Ons it’s rare that I’ve had sockets fail, and it’s nearly always one of the usual 3 suspects: 12-point 10mm, 12mm, and 9/16″ inch. I also find myself having to modify sockets sometimes, like cutting them down to fit in narrow places or welding them to things to make custom tools. So I’m happy to use basic Craftsman, Tekton, Kobalt, Gearwrench and stuff like that for 95% of my socket needs–they work, and I don’t cry if I have to modify one & buy its replacement. But those 10 & 12mms get used so often that I feel justified in spending for tool truck brands just for those sizes. And I’ve found that quality matters a great deal for universal-joint sockets, those I will also pay tool truck prices for too. I’d consider buying a high-end version of this set for that reason, but at Gearwrench level? Nah, it’s no better than what I already have.
Speaking to Gearwrench tools specifically: I recently picked up an assortment pack of extensions, universal joints, and adapters. The extensions and adapters are great. Every one of the swivels worked itself loose and sloppy the first time I used them, and no, there were no power tools or cheaters involved. Meanwhile I still have my 20-something-year-old Made in USA Craftsmans, and a set of ~15 year old Snap-Ons, all of which have been used with power tools at some point, and none of those are anywhere close to as loose and sloppy as the new Gearwrenches with not even 30 min of work on them yet. Thus I am not interested in purchasing any universal-type swivel socket from GW. On the other hand their “X-Core” pinless swivel impact sockets are great, I wouldn’t hesitate to buy those, though there aren’t any in this set.
Jared
Koken’s universals might be worth checking out. They’re a little different to avoid the slop.
With your sloppy Gearwrench universals, could you hit the rivets with a pin to tighten them back up?
fred
Ko-Ken also make stud setter sockets (in ISO and JIS pitches) for 10mm studs (other sizes too):
https://palmac.net/koken-4103m-10-1-5-1-2-stud-bolt-setters/
I ran across a Youtube video about Koken and Palmac – that offered 5% off – with a promo code: MrSubaru5 – I just tried it and it seems to work at the cart level – but did not push it to the checkout level to confirm it.
MM
I’ll take a look at the Kokens but I really don’t need any more universals. I didn’t really need the gearwrench ones either, they just happened to come in the set I bought and I wanted to try them out. I bought the set for the extensions, the adapters and the universals were a nice bonus. Even though I’m not a huge fan of the universals it was a still a great value for money set and I wouldn’t hesitate to buy it again if I needed more.
I’m sure I could tighten them back up but I haven’t bothered to try yet. If I do I’m very curious how long they will stay tight. I’m not all that concerned that they happen to be loose, I’m just surprised that they got loose with so little use. Does this mean that the steel is soft? Or does it mean that they weren’t pressed tight enough in the factory when they were made? Time will tell. I keep a roll of blue 3m masking tape in my socket drawer, this is in case I have to tape extensions together, tape sockets to extensions, or cover up the surface of tools or parts to prevent marring. It’s also handy for controlling floppy universals, just wrap around the outside. the tighter and the more layers the less it will flex.
AngryDrumGuy
I have the 10 and 8mm sets. Super helpful. However, my 10 is Carlyle from Napa and has no magnets, which I would avoid if buying again. The 8 with the magnet is outstanding.
Robin
SK sells a 15pc set.
https://sktools.com/15-piece-10mm-socket-set.html
It’s almost $162. But includes 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2in drive.
JoeM
“What can you use a 1cm socket for anyways?”
“Anything I damn well need to, that’s what! MUHAHAHAHAAAA!!!!”
Sorry… That’s what comes to mind seeing this set. It has every variant you could possibly need. So, no matter the situation, if one doesn’t get the job done due to… any number of situations trying to use a 10mm/1cm bolt or nut on… Something on that strip will.
I do love the “complete set” types of releases. In everything. It completely takes the guess work out of looking for the individuals to cover all the contingencies. Maybe Mastercraft spoiled me a little as a tool user… sure, it’s a house brand from Canadian Tire, I’ve said that many times… But they’re made by SBD most of the time… I know their air compressors of every size are Campbell-Hausfield… but a majority of their hand tools are either duplicates, or simply manufactured by SBD.
The difference is they’ll put Every. Single. Size. In one single package. Or they’ll put the same length or diameter ranges in every single type into one single package. Sometimes it will even go as far as to be a full sampler of that kind of tool, be it adjustable wrenches, screwdrivers, sockets, or whatever… All together, all one purchase.
I’ve said it in the past, and I’ll say it again… I have a tool box full of nothing but Mastercraft Screwdrivers, and their variants. Did it take me long to get that many? No… It was 3 purchases. A 99-piece set of screwdrivers, a 6-pack of ESD-Safe Full-Sized Screwdrivers, and a 6-pack, with container, of ESD-Safe Precision Screwdrivers. Total cost: ~$80, as they were all bought on sale, and my Father loved sales. Used to command me, even angrily yelling at me over the phone, to go get these things with His money. This was a good 15 years ago now… and I still don’t regret it. They’re “Glad to Have It, and Not Need It, Rather Than Need It, and Not Have It” tools. They were bought while I was having a really rough time recovering from the Tech Bubble Burst of 2001. Trying to find employment as a Computer Tech, after College for it and all, was nigh impossible. And for someone who didn’t have any proper screwdrivers to speak of for themselves, that low point of entry was perfect. Everyone on a budget, I went from having zero screwdrivers, to having plenty, overnight. Even the toolboxes I’m using are house-branded plastic toolboxes. $8 for the 14″ long ones, $10 for the 20″ ones.
That sounds like I’m rambling, but, Mastercraft just made all of that easy, that’s all. And it has also led me toward knowing what I genuinely need, which I have since upgraded to better quality tools on, and what is just a spare that I don’t mind losing. So this system of getting “the complete set” is something I most definitely prefer over buying things piece by piece. This set for 10mm Sockets? Falls exactly into that “Every Variant you could possibly need for 10mm” completeness.
Right now the only thing I use 10mm for is hose clamps, and for these reinforced tire valve caps on my Mother’s Scooter… so I don’t use it often enough to warrant this kit… but that doesn’t mean I don’t love it to bits (pun intended) and wouldn’t consider it as a purchase!
Jared
Current Mastercraft product includes tools from Apex too. Canadian Tire’s “MAXIMUM” brand seems to have more Apex tools than from any other manufacturer.
I’m always curious, but it’s really hard to figure out who makes what for Canadian Tire. They NEVER answer manufacturer questions when directly asked, but sometimes they leak the info when responding to specific product enquiries.
E.g. need a part for a CT product? Sometimes they direct you to a component from the manufacturer.
When asked about switching the polished combination wrenches from “Maximum” branding to “Mastercraft”, they confirmed they are still the exact same wrenches but stamped with the other brand name and all Gearwrench-made ratcheting wrenches will now be stamped as “Maximum” (which admittedly was no secret – I have a set of the early wrenches that have all three names – “Mastercraft Maximum” on one side, “Gearwrench” on the other.
JoeM
This is very true… Instead of getting some knockoff company from China (No this is not a COO debate, I’m talking the difference between the professionally Made in China products, and the awful Knock-Offs made in China.) to make the House Brand, I’ve found Canadian Tire goes with genuinely well-made companies to simply change the brand name on them. It runs the gamut of companies, too. They have various plastic bins that were made by Rubbermaid and rebranded “Jobmate” and either King Machinery or Stanley Proto rebranded as MotoMaster. Even within those avenues, CT does not mess around with fake knock-off companies.
Y’know what? In some ways the Mastercraft/Maximum/MotoMaster side of the house brands are a bit like the Bob Villa days of Craftsman from Sears. And “Jobmate” is more-or-less the End-of-the-Line Sears Craftsman lines. Are they house brands? Definitely. Are they garbage? Absolutely Not! It’s very odd, actually. Picking up one of my Mastercraft hand tools, and it feeling no different than a Stanley. Or a DeWALT of all things! Yeah, the shapes are purposely reformed to avoid the patents of the tool they’re a copy of… and yes, they are most certainly in the House Brand Colours… But it’s genuinely difficult to claim their performance or quality is degraded from the originals. The only difference, really… is that they were priced so low we… really don’t care if we blow it up, kill it, destroy it, or lose it. They have lifetime warranties, you can swap out, no questions asked… and if all else fails… You’ve been using it for so long that you can probably buy the full-priced original brand without guilt.
I have a Mastercraft Multimeter I still use… I’ve blown the fuse in it once, replaced no questions asked. Now that this particular model is discontinued… I’m looking into a Fluke to replace it… But early in my (Now Deceased) Tech Career? Nothing could stop that Mastercraft. I didn’t need a Fluke, or a Klein, or any other “Proper” brand. I will be looking into one now though… I’ve had this thing so long that I’m afraid to use it, lest I blow another fuse, or crack the plastic, or any number of other issues.
One of those tiny perks to being from North of the Border… Our Precious Store does not sell garbage! (Though they do sell Garbage Bags, to clean up the mess.)
Jared
BTW, it would amuse me, for reasons I can’t put into words, if I could find a socket marked “1cm”.
Kevin
I don’t have any 1cm sockets, but I do have a set of Urrea inch sockets that have the metric conversion marked in small letters, so for example the 9/16 socket is also marked “14.29mm”, and I always get a little kick out of that. I also have a Granco 13/16″ that is marked only as “20.6 mm”.
JoeM
Notice how imprecise those conversions are? “14.29mm”… Okay… Great… It’s too big to fit in a 14, and way too small to fit in a 15… And look how sloppy that is. Move the decimals until they’re whole numbers… “1429… Micrometers? …No… that’s 14290… There’s no actual whole numbers that fit!” and it’s 29 units of something sloppy off of a full 14mm… That’s what Fractions will get you… Sloppy measurements… That’s the benefit to Metric… Whole Numbers, no Slop or Math.
though it is extremely cool you have sets that mark both! I like that! It doesn’t help any Metric user whatsoever… but… Nice to know…
JoeM
Me too… I’d be so proud of us as a nation, if we genuinely got to show off our Metric standardization! Having someone used to Imperial next to us… just blow their minds when they ask “What’s 1cm got to do with it?” And we just go “It’s 10mm. Just move the decimal place to the simplest position, and that’s how we move units in Metric. No Math needed.”
Then obviously the question gets asked: “Then… Why is a Meter so important?” “That’s 100cm. 1000mm if you will.” “Isn’t it 3 feet?” “Not really… it’s only close to 3 feet. Though it is definitely close enough to a Yard to accept the error rate.”
I think we’d break a lot of Americans if we were to hold up proof of how easy the Metric system is to use. Pull out a tape measure, read it much faster than they can read theirs… “How’d you do that?” “All the markings are whole numbers… I just counted.” Bam! Minds Blown!
Doresoom
It’s not that Americans are some backwards idiots wondering how those Europeans and the rest of the world did their measuring magic. I completely agree that a system where 1 cubic centimeter of water is 1mL, has a mass of 1 gram, and takes 1 calorie to raise it 1 degC, is much easier to work with. It’s just that switching would be far too costly economically.
How many US companies would have to spend thousands and thousands of dollars on engineering changes just to make the switch? Not just engineering either – all construction materials use imperial units. Studs are at 16″ OC, and sheet goods are 48″ x 96″. How much of a headache would it be for homeowners to have renovations done with a 120 cm wide sheet of plywood that’s barely too small to span that gap?
Stuart
There’s also the issue of public adoption.
I remember being taught the metric system starting in elementary school, but it was always a more abstract system.
There are practical integrations – a standard water bottle is 500 mL, and 1L and 2L water and soda containers are the norm.
But, that seems to about it.
The speed of sound in air is 343 meters per second. Although I know Mach 1 is 700 something miles per hour, 343 m/s is what’s imprinted in my mind.
The speed of light is 3×10^8 m/s in vacuum, or… 186,000 miles per second – sorry, I had to look it up.
I process theoretical lengths and units in metric, and practical measurements in imperial units maybe 90% of the time.
500mm is how long? No idea. Divided by ~25, oh – 20 inches, that’s *this long* (as I hold my arms apart by approximately 20″).
69°F = 20.6°C.
72°F = 22.2°C
I feel that the 3°F swing corresponds better to human sensitivity to temperature than 1.6°C.
When measuring weight, such as salt ratios for making hot sauce or pickles, grams are so much easier. But when it comes to weight perception, I don’t have a feel for grams and kilograms as much as I do ounces and pounds.
JoeM
Ha Ha! Doresoom, only the first paragraph is serious. The rest is me being silly. We in the North underwent that identical problem back in the… I think 1970’s? When we converted over.
I genuinely wish I could write these in such a way as to see my face as I write them. You’d see where I was just poking fun at it, and where I was making a minor, meaningless point.
First Paragraph, I’m serious. I’m positive you folks in the states have seen and used a 10mm socket at some point. Obviously, standing next to one of us holding a “1cm” socket, you’re going to ask why we’re laughing or so happy about it. Well, there’s your answer up there. We’d just turn to you, in a friendly way and say “It’s just a 10mm…” then some funny (Actually funny, not my awful attempt at humour) comment about how simple, yet rare, it is to see the unit change on anything other than a Tape Measure.
I’m also awful at humour. Yell, scream, curse and swear at me for it all you wish, I admit it fully. A comedian, I am not. My jokes bomb constantly. Though I really should stop trying to use my humour in text form, I’m usually laughing my tuchus off at the funny going on in my head, and don’t remember that others can’t tell when I’m joking. For this, I am sorry. I would say I meant no offence, but I think it’s more accurate to say I’m sorry I’m not funny enough to pull this off. I never intended to offend anyone, sure… but what is still there is that it was offensive to even try joking in text. I really should know better!
Anyway man… I’m sorry about that… High fives and happy thoughts all around… (Where’s the giant grin emoji when you need it?)
JoeM
Stuart, if it helps at all, we don’t actually use Metric for anything that isn’t being measured by an instrument.
A Speedometer? Metric. Shoe Size? Inches to match US sizing… because it’s actually easier to use the smaller numbers to conceptualize how big one’s foot is, than using cm as the European sizing works.
We still state our heights in Imperial… I’m 5’6″ tall… but our height on a government document, or medical requisition, is in Metric, because to document it is to have us measured on the spot. Doctors will give us our weights in Kilograms, and tell us to lose or gain X amount using something or other rather than what we’re eating. But, like you, when we have to perceive an approximate (where it gets sloppy.) we do still use pounds… though all our medication is in grams… food is marked in both at supermarkets and stores… Post office uses Grams to determine postage costs…
We’re like your Sibling nation… We’re significantly more progressive in adopting common-sense human rights laws and medical safety measures… but we’re essentially the USA’s Brother. We annoy the snot out of you, we understand stuff you don’t want us to understand, because it makes you think your other powerful friends will see you as dumb (when it’s really not true at all. The US seriously needs a self confidence boost in this metaphor.) and to top it all off… We actually care about you! We mock and make fun of you constantly, but only because you can be hilarious at times, and we’re playing along.
When it comes to Metric versus Imperial… The reality is, Imperial is based on guesstimation via body parts, and sensory input… Metric is based on standardized measurements, which can be visually confirmed with tools. Since we’ve standardized so many regulations for building and whatnot… If it can’t be proved with a measuring tool, it can’t be relied on by experts so much. And that’s really all it is.
The thumb nail used to be an Inch. As we, as humans, have grown larger, that doesn’t make any sense. A Foot used to be an approximate size of a military boot after all standardized gear was applied to the foot. Socks, knife, etc. The boots were relatively standardized to 12″ back then, and some people fit them perfect, others didn’t. If you had money, you’d get sized properly, and your local Cobbler would make you new shoes. So a “Foot” had very little to do with the body part it references to start with. And now? I’ll just say it… Shaq wears size 22 shoes… Is he the standard by which you want to define what a “Foot” is? I wouldn’t think so.
Up here, much of our regulations for building are legally in Metric. But people who have been working in the industry use Imperial because of the Apprenticeship system. No one from the Metric eras have been trained by their Master Craftsman to use Metric. So these industries continue to use Imperial, and double-check they got close enough to the legal standards using metric settings on lasers and such. We are every bit as guilty of splitting the two systems as you are. Plus, not a lot of tool manufacturing facilities up here. Plenty of safe room to put them, and up the employment rate, but we… just don’t have it. We have You though… and you keep including Imperial in your tool offerings, along side the Metric. So, I may make fun of it, but we’re Metric in the sense that that is the Government Mandate. Our speed limits, Odometers, Speedometers, Distance to X city signs… All Metric. Our IDs… Metric. Our Math and Education system: Doesn’t use Conversion to teach either system. They’re taught separately, and our Science programs use Metric. There are units or chapters of math classes where the Conversion rates are taught… but conversion? Is rarely, if ever, used.
As to single-degree temperature differences: Uh… We don’t care one degree or another… our weather, like New England and the North-Western States… Swings a lot wilder than one degree of anything… We’re never worried about the difference between 20 C and 19 C. We are scared to hell of the difference between 20 C and either 40 C or -20 C. Because, on the same day, it can be both, one, or none of the above. Meteorologists can call for Rain, and not a single cloud will show up all week. Or they can call for Snow, and we get an Ice Storm that freezes everyone inside, waiting to be rescued. It can be June, and It. Will. Snow. In March and April our Weather Forecasts can literally say “It’s 20 Degrees out! Go get some sun!” and we still have to shovel snow to get to our sidewalks, salt the ice away, all while wearing shorts and a T-Shirt.
We still have a mix of the two. We just… Fully adopted it a lot earlier and faster than you did. We did a lot of things a lot faster and earlier than you did. It’s nothing special about us. Aside from the Weather not behaving, making us slightly impatient… We invented stuff to make stuff go faster… The Paint Roller… Basketball… Human Rights Council… Not for some political reason just… We have better things to do than fight over things, so we just get stuff off our “To Do List” so to speak.
Any more details are purely political in nature, not one side or another, just… detailing our political system so you understand why we don’t, as a Nation, like to linger on indecision situations, or have people angry at us. It’s more like “Wait… We haven’t done that yet? Okay, somebody make a Tim’s run, we’re staying late and hammering this out today, so we don’t have to deal with it tomorrow!”
Doresoom
LOL, sorry I missed the humor. No hard feelings – I might just be a little defensive of our Freedom Units because I get a surprising number of comments about “stupid Americans” on any YouTube video I post that I list the manufacturer specs of a tool in inches.
Also, fun fact – US engineers use inches in decimal form for just about every drawing I’ve ever seen, not fractional sizes. 🙂
JoeM
No apologies necessary, Doresoom! I have a sense of humour, it’s just… Rarely does it actually land any laughs. That’s on me, not you.
I have family in the USA… A couple adopted siblings, and their kids… They’re adopted as family because… like myself… They’re very smart! And yes, they are from those US states that people make fun of using “Duelling Banjos” to call them backward. But they’re very smart. My Sister has a Doctorate in Ministry (DmN) and is a United Church Pastor. We have some of the most intelligent conversations ever, and we often do so on Facebook so her parishioners and friends can learn from us. Her two kids are adoptive… kinda like baby ducks imprinting on a new Mom? Both were severely abused as children, but Now? They’re both breath-taking artists, doing their therapy, as well as showing just how much light they have inside them. When they’re down, I always draw them back to the talent they have, and how brilliant they must be to have just… picked it up without needing schooling.
So, I don’t think Americans are all dumb… I, in fact, Know that there are some truly, magnificently, brilliant ones. It’s just that the dumb ones are louder, and it’s hard to hear the smart ones as they quietly just work away at the country’s problems.
I get that you would have a knee-jerk reaction like you did. YouTube comments are really harsh, and you have my deep sympathies for what you’ve had to endure. You’re a good guy, trying to help some people out, you shouldn’t have to deal with Trolls!
As to the Engineering… Yeah… I know about the decimal inches. Engineering Notation is used on both systems. When it’s in Metric it’s Whole Numbers Raised to E(+/-)Number, indicating how many zeroes or places down the decimal it goes. 23E-20 would be 0.(20 Zeroes)23. Same with Imperial… The whole number is the whole number of Inches, then the fraction is reduced to the nearest amount out of 10, 100, 1000, etc. 2-1/4 is 2.25 (AKA 25 out of 100, the same as 1/4)… I did learn that, and I also have a Caliper with a digital readout, that does that conversion if I need to explain it to a non-metric user. If all else fails… My trusty Graphing Calculator, a TI-86 from College, gets pulled out, and I use the conversion function…. Or Online Conversion the website… Or my Cell, Computer, or Tablet… They all do it with the calculator programs…
So, really it comes down to that initial serious fact… Like Jared, I would get a kick out of finding a Socket labelled “1cm”… And having an American standing next to me as I’m holding the thing and laughing like a crazy person. Because it comes down to, with how used to Metric we are, seeing a tool company go so far as to bother converting a 10mm socket to a 1cm socket? Is so trivial, and so funny… Conversions to Imperial, not funny at all. Quite nice, and quite cool, though they’re in the decimal form of Imperial, and we can see how sloppy the conversion is between the systems. It’s a socket directly for Imperial use, and it may be marked for the “Convenience” of Metric users, but it’s obvious only the Imperial size will actually fit.
I could joke and talk for days on this, but Stuart gets headaches from me typing so much. I think I’ll grant him a little mercy here. But regardless, Doresoom, I assure you it was my fault here! You have nothing to apologize for! In fact, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed talking about this, considering how close it ties in with the necessities the Gearwrench set covers with all those variants of 10mm! As a Metric user, that’s a complete set! If I need to get to a 10mm fastener, there’s no possible way for it to escape my access to it using the parts on that strip! I love that!
Stuart
For meters to yards, it’s ~3.3 feet, or you can divided by 25 (as opposed to the true 25.4 mm per inch conversion) to get 40 inches, which is close enough to the true 39.37″ for most casual purposes.
fred
If we had 8, 12 or 16 fingers it might have been different. It also might have been different if the discussion by the founding fathers had sided more with Jefferson – and had not been swayed by whatever anti-French sentiment seemed to be circulating at the time.
Joe W
I bought one of these for a buddy for Christmas a couple years ago. Great gift idea for someone who wrenches, never hurts to have a spare 10mm!
Dave the tool
Purchased a set!
X Lu
An excellent solution in search of a nonexistent problem.
MM
If you’re a mechanic, especially if you’re working on Toyotas or Hondas, a 10mm socket is one of your most commonly used tools. Having a variety of them makes perfect sense, which is why the tool truck brands have had these particular type of sets for years. But I don’t know any pro mechanics who would trust their most commonly used and abused sockets to gearwrench.
Analyst
Snap-on sells a 8 piece 3/8″ Drive Essential 10 mm Socket Set for a mere $261.00. It does have two 3/8″ drive 10 mm swivel impact sockets which certainly drive the price up quite a bit.
https://shop.snapon.com/product/Shallow%2C-mm/8-pc-3-8%22-Drive-Essential-10-mm-Socket-Set/208ES10MMY
Maps Bam
The 10mm socket joke hasn’t been funny in decades. Can we all just stop already?
Bill Strobel
I just received mine. Be advised the socket rail is not gold colored like in all of the photos for this item but a hideous baby blue color. I really wanted the gold color rail.
Stuart
I mentioned this in the post – the one I received also has a blue rail.
Scott ALKB
Dang, $70 today.